I am halfway through finals and getting ready to go home in a few days. I'll return as an MD2 and there will be a whole new crew of MD1 students starting up. I've been getting tons of emails from incoming students asking for advice on various things. By far, the most frequent question I am getting is "What do I pack? It is so hard!" I remember having these troubles myself! So this post is for all of you incoming students trying to decide how to use your precious packing space. At the end of the day, don't forget that after four months (which will FLY by), you will get to go home and replenish your stock. Don't worry about getting every pair of shoes you own into that suitcase! When you go home and then come back, you can bring those beloved belongings with you the second go round. It will feel like having a whole new wardrobe!
Here are some things that you may want to consider squeezing in:
1. "School Supplies" - You probably want to bring most of your school supplies (paper, pens, whatever) because it is hard to find good quality stuff here that doesn't have outrageous pricing. Make sure you bring pencils as all of the tests are done on scantron. You can buy stuff here, it just might not be what you are used to using.
2. Seat cushion- the seats in the classrooms as super uncomfortable...I am talking PLASTIC. You may want a thin cushion to sit on since you have to sit there all day long. Most people have that on the top of their list of things to bring back with them after Xmas.
3. External hard drive - You will go through the space on your computer quickly. Also, lots of files (PDFs, videos, etc) get passed around at the beginning of the semester so extra storage space is helpful if you want to take advantage of these awesome resources.
4. Clothes - Make sure you bring some warmer clothes. A lot of people packed only "summer" clothing - and the classrooms are quite chilly with the A/C (People currently sit in class cuddled up in their snuggles!) You may want a set of scrubs for lab and for volunteer events (if you choose to do them). Also make sure to bring some business casual clothing for presentations.
5. Toiletries - I'd suggest bringing enough toiletries to get you through till christmas. They are expensive here - toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, etc. For the ladies, bring enough make up and stuff to get you through, especially if you are picky. You can't find anything that is decent quality on the island. Also, things like hair clips, hair ties, bobby pins, etc. You can find some of the same things at home but it can be difficult sometimes. If you like certain lotions and stuff, bring them!
6. Medications - If you are on any prescription meds, bring enough to last until christmas. They won't fill your prescriptions here, you will have to see an island doctor for a new script, and some medications aren't available. You may also want a stock of over the counter stuff that you use because you can't find everything here and some of it is expensive (ex. Advil, allergy medication, cough drops, etc).
7. Kitchen supplies - Most of the apartments come pretty well stocked with kitchen stuff…but if there is anything specific you want you may want to bring it because it's expensive to buy things. Ex. I brought my magic bullet and rice cooker because I can't live without them. You can sometimes find things to buy off other students that are leaving. Oh, and you might want to bring some tupperware, so you don't have to buy it here.
8. Food - you can find most food items on the island. I wouldn't waste too much room trying to bring dry goods and things because you can most likely get it here, or at least something similar. If you are crazy about certain spices (ex. to cook indian foods) you may want to bring some but you can find most things.
9. Afterbite and bug spray. Mosquitos/sand flies are relentless.
10. Work out gear - if you like to work out. We do yoga and T25/insanity at the school regularly so if you'd like to join in bring some stuff!
11. Powerbar - outlets in the classrooms are limited…it is helpful if a few students bring power bars so everyone can plug in!
12. Textbooks - a lot of people have questions about whether or not to buy books at home and bring them with you. Lots of upper year students are always selling their textbooks so I'd save the space if you can. Textbooks are also available as PDF files and are made available to all students - just depends if you are the type of person who likes to have a hardcopy. Some students get by without textbooks at all but that is an individual preference. Teachers typically make their powerpoint slides straight from the books, but the actual textbooks can be great for reference material, a lot of people find they don't need the textbooks at all. I would definitely recommend the BRS books, especially for embryology, histology, and anatomy. They have great practice questions and are a good summary of high yield material (they are available as PDFs as well).
Those are my main suggestions. If any current students are reading this and have suggestions of their own, please feel free to leave them in the comments section at the bottom of this page! Happy packing and looking forward to meeting everyone next semester!!
Wednesday, 18 December 2013
Monday, 9 December 2013
Craniotomy...I think it was just what the doctor ordered!
Down to the wire now, only five more days of classes and final exams after that and I will be home! I am so excited to see my family and friends, I find myself aching for them more and more. Of course we still have an embryology quiz tomorrow (which I should probably be studying for...but I feel pretty confident) and a histology group presentation on retinal detachment later this week. The end is finally in sight, although there is a lot of work and studying involved in getting there. I am finding myself feeling quite burnt out. Learning and studying all day every day for four months really wears a person down. It's hard to find the stamina to keep pushing through. I find myself more and more distracted, thinking about going home and getting these subjects behind me. I know I just need to put my head down and get through this, even though I'm kind of tired of putting in all the effort.
At the beginning of this block, I was so fed up with anatomy already. The enormous amount of material that you have to memorize is absolutely insane. I thought to myself -- "OK, head and neck...that's all that's left. Can't be that bad". WRONG. Just because the head and neck physically take up less space than the rest of the body doesn't mean jack. There are so many tiny vessels and nerves to be crammed. The famous twelve cranial nerves might be the death of me. The skull is full of tiny little holes and you have to know what each one is there for...what travels in and out of them. Every move you make from a stuck out tongue, a flare of the nostrils, or a wink of the eye has such a complicated pathway to make it happen. How does the brain do all of these things? What will happen if there is the tiniest problem with one of the nerves? How does each part of the head and face get it's blood supply? What lymph nodes drain fluid from each part? And hey, quick, learn this in a couple of weeks.
Today was definitely one of the most awesome days in the lab -- we did a craniotomy. I helped to manually saw off the skull of my cadaver and remove the brain. What a rush! And a lot of work....a couple of the other students and I stayed in lab an hour late, sawing away. Then we took a chisel and hammer to the skull to get it off and finally got at the master control centre of our body. Holding a human brain in your hands is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. It's hard to believe everything we think, do, say, and feel comes from this slimy, intricate organ.
What else has been happening? Other than study, study, study...not a heck of a lot. Most people seem to be feeling the same way as me, just doggy paddling toward the light at the end of the tunnel (well...the tunnel that is MD1, anyway). The students in MD4 are getting ready to have their White Coat Ceremony on the weekend, then they leave the island for good and get to move on to the next chapter. I can't imagine how they must be feeling. It will be sad to see them go! They are a great group that bring a lot of energy to our school. I'll miss my group of friends that I do yoga with at lunch three days a week, and others that I have become close with in the last several months. I am sure we will cross paths again in Chicago. And hey, they can keep in touch and give us the low down about what happens on the other side.
In my last post I was mentioning that we were going to be celebrating American Thanksgiving at our place -- we did, and it was awesome! About half of our class showed up to the potluck. There was an insane amount of amazing food and it was great for everyone to just relax and have a few hours to not worry about school. It was a little late for the Canadians, but it was a night of reflection and thanks. We are all going through this thing together, we are together all day long five days a week, and it is nice when once in awhile we all do something that is not related to school.
At the beginning of this block, I was so fed up with anatomy already. The enormous amount of material that you have to memorize is absolutely insane. I thought to myself -- "OK, head and neck...that's all that's left. Can't be that bad". WRONG. Just because the head and neck physically take up less space than the rest of the body doesn't mean jack. There are so many tiny vessels and nerves to be crammed. The famous twelve cranial nerves might be the death of me. The skull is full of tiny little holes and you have to know what each one is there for...what travels in and out of them. Every move you make from a stuck out tongue, a flare of the nostrils, or a wink of the eye has such a complicated pathway to make it happen. How does the brain do all of these things? What will happen if there is the tiniest problem with one of the nerves? How does each part of the head and face get it's blood supply? What lymph nodes drain fluid from each part? And hey, quick, learn this in a couple of weeks.
Today was definitely one of the most awesome days in the lab -- we did a craniotomy. I helped to manually saw off the skull of my cadaver and remove the brain. What a rush! And a lot of work....a couple of the other students and I stayed in lab an hour late, sawing away. Then we took a chisel and hammer to the skull to get it off and finally got at the master control centre of our body. Holding a human brain in your hands is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. It's hard to believe everything we think, do, say, and feel comes from this slimy, intricate organ.
What else has been happening? Other than study, study, study...not a heck of a lot. Most people seem to be feeling the same way as me, just doggy paddling toward the light at the end of the tunnel (well...the tunnel that is MD1, anyway). The students in MD4 are getting ready to have their White Coat Ceremony on the weekend, then they leave the island for good and get to move on to the next chapter. I can't imagine how they must be feeling. It will be sad to see them go! They are a great group that bring a lot of energy to our school. I'll miss my group of friends that I do yoga with at lunch three days a week, and others that I have become close with in the last several months. I am sure we will cross paths again in Chicago. And hey, they can keep in touch and give us the low down about what happens on the other side.
In my last post I was mentioning that we were going to be celebrating American Thanksgiving at our place -- we did, and it was awesome! About half of our class showed up to the potluck. There was an insane amount of amazing food and it was great for everyone to just relax and have a few hours to not worry about school. It was a little late for the Canadians, but it was a night of reflection and thanks. We are all going through this thing together, we are together all day long five days a week, and it is nice when once in awhile we all do something that is not related to school.
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| What a feast :) |
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| ROOMIES! |
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| Our MD1 Clan :)
Well...I must get studying for this embryology test tomorrow. The countdown to home continues!
XOXOX
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